FOUR men have been jailed for a total of almost 30 years after kidnapping a man and trying to get money in exchange for his safe release.

Jake Constable, 25, of Chelmsford, Antony Siequien, 35, of Wheatley Avenue, Braintree, Billy Jackson, 30, of Trinity Court, Halstead, and Mason Stewart, 19, of Chelmsford, all admitted kidnap.

Chelmsford Crown Court heard the victim was held in a Ford Transit van in Kirby Cross just after 6.45pm on August 25.

Officers pursued the van, which began to drive dangerously, and eventually hit a bush at the junction of Tendring Road and Whitehall Lane in Thorpe-le-Soken.

Their victim was said to owe £1,000 to one of the defendants and was subjected to a “horrific assault”.

He was struck on the head, had a Rambo knife held against his face and duct tape wrapped around his hands. He also had plastic carrier bag put over his head and threats were made to shoot him dead.

The victim, who was detained for about three hours, was taken to hospital with bruises to his chest and abdomen and a fractured left eye socket.

The attack was also filmed by one of the defendants.

Sentencing the men, Judge Timothy Walker said: “John Constable – you indicated in the van the debt was yours and you made repeated demands for money.

“You are the person on the video footage and could be heard demanding the Rambo knife. You threatened to cut him and shank his neck, I have no doubt you were the main orchestrator of this kidnap.

“Billy Jackson, you too played and integral role in the threat and violence.

“Mr Stewart, it was you who handed the Rambo knife to Jake Constable. Both you and Billy Jackson shouted encouragement words to him when he threatened to stab him in the neck.

“Mr Siequien, you were the driver of the van . You also threatened the victim you will petrol bomb his mother’s house if he called the police.”

Constable was sentenced to nine years in prison for kidnap and three years for drugs supply, both to run concurrently.

Stewart was sentenced to seven years in jail for kidnap and 28 months of detention for drugs offences which had been committed in Suffolk.

Siequien was also handed two concurrent sentences - six years for kidnap and 12 months for dangerous driving. He was also disqualified from driving for six years.

Billy Jackson was also jailed for seven years for kidnap.

All four men have been given a restraining order against the victim, which will last for life.